The Vauxhall schools: Our Lady of Reconciliation, St Gerard's and Mother Teresa, will close in summer 2004 after the council's education select committee voted overwhelmingly for the closures to go-ahead.

Parents and opposition councillors who have been fighting the closure plans claimed today the moves could have a "devastating" impact on the regeneration of the area.

And they have pledged to continue their campaign.

They had called for the council to wait six months until a regeneration strategy for the area which would determine population growth was completed.

But Cllr Paul Clein, Liverpool council's executive member for education, said any delay could have resulted in money for new developments being lost.

Figures obtained by the Archdiocese from the council predict that there will be no population change in the area.

But the north Liverpool regeneration plan predicts that there could be a 10,000 increase in population in the next 10-years.

Cllr Clein added: "I am confident that the figures which we have provided to the Archdiocese are correct.

"I am pleased a decision has finally been made. It is something which has been hanging over the schools for almost two years."

A new school will be built to replace the three closures.

The favoured site for this is on land next to Mother Teresa.

As part of the proposals, Friary Catholic Primary School in Everton will be re-built and Holy Cross Primary School in Everton will remain as it is.

In the original proposals put forward at the beginning of last year Friary Catholic Primary, Holy Cross and St Gerard's were earmarked for closure with Mother Teresa and Our Lady of Reconciliation taking in extra children.

Cllr Peter Killeen, Labour's education spokesman, said: "We are not against closures where there are surplus places. We understand that these have to be eliminated. All we are asking is for the figures to be checked."

Sharon Sullivan, chair of the parents action group which has been fighting the closures, said she is determined to "fight on."

"We will take this to the European courts if necessary.

"We just feel the council has ignored us.

"It is continually saying it wants to listen to local people and take their views into account.

"I think it is is a terrible indictment that we have not been allowed a six-month monitorium - something we have been requesting for a long time."

The decision of the select committee now needs the unanimous approval of the School Organisation Committee in December.

If this fails, a decision will be made by an independent adjudicator appointed by the Secretary of state.